Success of EDUCATE cohort, My Tutor, highlighted in major report on use of EdTech in narrowing the attainment gap

The work of EDUCATE cohort, MyTutor, has been commended in a key report into the use EdTech to support the learning of disadvantaged children, and how it can bridge the gap in achievement between pupils from different backgrounds.

It acknowledges the increasing realisation by the UK government of EdTech as a possible source of innovation in this area, and the growing focus on outputs and efficacy, rather than innovations in gadgetry.

MyTutor features as an example of how technology can bridge the gap in opportunity by offering one-to-one on-line tutoring at a cost that is accessible to families, and lower than the fees charged by agencies offering tutoring at home.

My Tutor’s own research has suggested that students receiving online tuition for more than one term make three times greater progress than those who receive none, the study said.

James Burton, Head of Data Science at MyTutor, said: “We believe in the on-going evaluation of our product’s efficacy to high standards of academic rigour. This led us to EDUCATE, world leaders in EdTech research, and to the design and delivery of our 2017 Impact Report.

“This was a landmark report for us. We found that students who received more than a terms worth of online one-to-one tuition improved by +1.7 grades – compared to a control group who hadn’t received MyTutor tutorials, who made 0.5 grades progress.

“Reform approached us for details of how EdTech can help transform outcomes for disadvantaged pupils in schools. The Impact Report enabled us to provide robust evidence for how innovative and scalable solutions such a MyTutor can deliver transformational outcomes at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods.

“It is the first of what we hope to be many opportunities to help shape the sector through applied evidence.”

MyTutor was among the recent recipients of an ‘evidence applied EdWard’, presented at a special ceremony during the EDUCATE Showcase at the London Festival of Learning, on June 27.

The company, one of the first cohorts to join the EDUCATE programme when it launched in 2017, has recently attracted new funding which takes its total investment to £10 million in the past three years, and making it one of the highest-funded EdTech ventures in Europe. It plans to use the funding to expand the business, potentially to new clients overseas.